236 ZOOLOGY. 
only so far immersed that its head and gills were free. In one í 
M. Gréhant’s experiments five gold fish removed the whole of the 
oxygen from a small quantity of water before they were asphysi 
ated, whilst carbonic acid was exhaled to double the amount of 
the oxygen absorbed. A small amount of nitrogen appears also 
to be exhaled. He points out the analogy that obtains between 
the respiration of fish and of the foetus in the uterus. —A. W. B 
THE Great NORTHERN SHRIKE AND THE ENGLISH SPARRO 
—Thave lately received with much interest from a pupil in 
gers College Grammar School, a fine male specimen of 
Northern Butcher-bird (Collyrio borealis Baird), which s 
shot on the 6th inst. in a larch tree, in the city of New Brus 
‘wick. It had just made a repast on the brains of m English 
sparrow. Certainly it had method in its way of doing the 
The victim was gibbeted by having its head squeezed into 
crotch made by the bifurcation of two branches, each = 
half an inch thick. Thus suspended, the head was broken in f 
the top, and the brains taken out. This is not the only pie ee 
has come to my knowledge of the marauding on sparrows ini 
in this place, by the northern shrike. Iam of the belief p 
birds of prey are waking up to the fact that the cities are % 
a rich winter harvest, hence the resort thither of raptorial D 
will greatly increase. It was recently said in a journal, thet 
owls were becoming numerous in Central Park, and were 
forays on the English sparrows. Probably, if looked y 
PRANA 
Ei 
equally on the increase in these places. Moreover, th 
_ think is true of all the parks where these sparrows 
naturalized, and unless means are used to prevent, yes 
of birds of prey in those parks will be very considerad™ 
ially in the winter. The wonderfully prolific nature | 
little birds will furnish rich and abundant provision, pe 
Shrike, although with a singular daintiness, it selects the 
As to the acclimatization of the English sparrow — 
not quite proof against the severity of our winters. wal 
ago, a flock of these birds left Jersey City for the mow 
Bergen Tunnel, a distance of but little more than two mi? s 
some wheat had been spilled from a freight car. haw 
taken from them their pickings in the city. Noti 
